Railway signaling track diagram



Dec. 6, 1932. w.'|-1. B. LAVARACK ,8 2

RAILWAY SIGNALING TRAQK DIAGRAM Filed Dec. 12 1930 77 rfll'Nv NTOR BY X E,

? ATTORNE Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I WILLIAM H. B. LAVARAGK, F PINE BUSH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO RAILROAD ACCESSORIES CORPORATION. OF NEW YORK. N. Y.. A CORPO RATION OF NEW YORK RAILWAY SIGNALING TRACK DIAGRAM Application filed December 12, 1980. Serial No. 501,822.

This invention relates to .railway signaling, particularly'to tower track illuminated diagrams, and more especially to a lamp supporting means used therein.

Those skilled in the art of railway signaling are familiar with the devices known as tower illuminated track diagrams. These devices are positioned to be easily'visible by a tower man while operating the levers controlling signals and switches operated from the tower. They present, in miniature, a conventional picture of the track and signals gov-- erned from the tower. The tracks are generally indicated by two spaced parallel lines'or one very broad line. The tracks have means associated therewith by which sections may at times be illuminated to thereby indicate the presence of a train thereon. The illumination is generally accomplished by means of small electric incandescent lamps which are controlled, as is well understood by those skilled in the art, by relays governed by track circuit sections in such manner that a train upon a given track circuit section will illuminate the corresponding section of trackway shown in the tower illuminated track diagram.

Heretofore, the lamps used for illuminating the tower track diagram have been generally positioned upon a board or plane surface a short distance back of the face of the track diagram. In order to renew a'burned out lamp, it has heretofore been generally necessary to raise or lower the front of the track diagram as by swinging the same upon hinges, in order to replace a burned out lamp or adjust a lamp. The swinging of the front of the illuminated diagram out of position has rendered it temporarily non-visible to the 40 tower man to the serious detriment of his work.

A principal object of the present invention is to mount the lamp used for illuminating purposes on a tower track diagram directly upon the board, glass or plane surface which serves as the front, visible, or informative surface of the diagram.

A further object of the invention is to so mount, hold, or position the lamp that it may be removed from position and replaced without disturbing the position of the visible or informative'face of the track diagram.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invent1on progresses, and the novel features will 'ble particularly pointed out in the appended c aim.

In describing the invention in detail and the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing and the several views thereon, in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a face view of a tower illuminated track diagram; Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view of a lamp holding means em bodying my invention, as applied to a track diagram, and may be considered as a section on the plane indicated by the line IIII of ig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line; Fig. 3 is a face view, as seen from the front side of the track diagram, of the device as shown by Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is inthe nature of an exploded view of the parts as shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectionalyiew on the plane indicated by the line VV of Fig. 2, viewed in the direc-. tion of the arrows at the ends of the line. so

In order to illustrate, conventionally, an ordinary type of tower illuminated track diagram, I have shown Fig. 1, which may be considered as a fragment of face of an ordinary track diagram. This figure=- shows tracks as 1 and 2 joined by cross-overs as 3. For the purposes of this case, the small circles as 4 upon the track diagram, Fig. 1, may be considered as circles of illumination caused by an electric incandescent lamp through which current is flowing. Forthe purposes of this case, one section of trackway may be considered to extend from the point 5 to the point 6; another section of trackway from the point 6 to the point 7; another section from point 8 to the point9; another section from the point 9 to the point 10; and another section which is the cross over 11. The circles of illumination as 4 in the several track sections indicated upon the dishown in Fig. 4. It is of the ordina agram will be controlled by corresponding track sections upon the trackway in suc manner that when those sections are occupied by a train thecircles as 4 will be illuminated, all in a manner well understood in the art.

The track diagram, as shown in Fig. 1, may be considered as formed upon a plane surface 12 made of any usual or desired material. It may well be made upon ordinary wood.

In order to apply my lamp holding means to the diagram, the face12 thereof will be formed with an orifice 13, best shown in Fig. 2. This orifice will be proper for the reception therein of a glass holder 14 formed with an external screw thread 15 which cooperates with an internal thread 16 formed in the end of the barrel 17. The glass holder 14, being formed with a flange 18, acts as a sustaining means both for itself and the barrel 17 on the plate 12 because the threadin of the glass holder 14 into the barrel 17 brlngs the flange 18 ti htly against the front of the plate 12, and face 19 of the barrel 17 tightly against the back of the plate 12. j

I prefer to make the glass holder 14 of metal and the barrel 17 of metal.

The glass holder 14 is preferably formed with a bezel 20 within which is held the glass or light emitting member 21 which glass member may be a lens with small facets upon the face thereof as shown, although bysuch showing I do not intend to exclude the use of a plain, parallel sided, flat glass disc or any iuitable form of faceted or any unfaceted ens.

Inthe end of barrel I7 remote from the glass holder 14, I form pin holding sockets, as 22 and 23. The form of the socket is best bayonet form joint and consists of a straig t portion 24, a transverse portion 25, and a retreating portion 26. It 1s, of course, understood that the slot 23lon the opposite side of the cylinder of the barrel 17 from the slot 22 is, like ordinary bayonet joints, reversely constructed.

, For cooperation with the slots 22 and 23, I provide the lam carrier proper 27 which is generall cylin rical but of different. diameters. t the end 28, the diameter is such that it just fits within the barrel 17, as well 1 shown m Fig. 2, and is provided with pins as 29 and 30 to cooperate with the slots, as 22 and 23, so that it may be inserted in the left hand end of the barrel 17 as shown in Fig. 2, when the pins as 29 and 30 are in alignment with the straight portion 24 of the slot 22 and may then be pushed forward,

twisted on its longitudinal axis and then moved back slightly, whereupon the pins, as

29 and 30, will rest in the retreating portions,

as 26, of the slots. In order to maintain the pins 29 and 30 in the retreating portions, as 26 of the slots, the spring 31 is employed.

This spring'is positioned loosely in the barrel 17 and at one end bears against the inner face of the end wall of the barrel 17, and at the other end against the forward face of the member 27, and by reason of its expansive tendency maintains pins 29 and 30 in their proper place.

, The lamp holder proper 27 is provided on its left hand end, as viewed in Fig. 2, with the insulating body 32 maintained in position in the barrel of the body 27 by a pin as 33. This insulating body 32 has projecting metallic members 34 and 35, to one of which the electrical conductor 36 extends, and to the other of which the electrical conductor 37 extends, both conductors bein maintained 1n proper position by each havmg a screw, as 38, positioned to be screwed down upon it.

The projecting metallic members 34 and 35 are preferably spring pressed as is usual. Such construction is roughly indicated in Fig. 2 at 41.

The lamp holding body 27 is also provided with a pair of bayonet joint sockets, as 39, one only of which is shown in Fig. 2, but another and corresponding socket is formed on the other side of the'body 27 and serve together with two pins one of which, 40, is shown in Fig. 2, to hold the lamp base 42 of the lamp 49 in the body 27. This lamp is provided with terminals 43 and 44 to cooperate with the projecting members 34 and 35.

Orifices as 46, 47 and 48, shown in Fig. 4 are formed in the cylinder 17 so that one at the back of the late 12 may see whether or not the lamp is librning.

If replacement or adjustment of the lam 43 is required, one merely goes to the bac of the plate 12, without in any way interfering with the lever-man or with the view of the lever-man, and grasping the body 27 pushes it forward against the spring 31 so as to remove the pins 29 and 30 from the retreating slots as 26. The body is then given a slight twist and the pins withdrawn through the slots 24 leaving the cylinder 17 and the glass holder 14 in place. The lamp may be then be renewed or the parts adjusted or repaired. When all repairs or replacements are made the body 27 is reinserted in the cylinder 17 in a reverse manner from that already describedin taking it out.

It is, of course understood that the wires 36 and 37, in the usual manner, are connected so as to be controlled from a given track circuit section, as the section from 5to 6 in Fig. 1, or the section from 6 to 7. 1

Although I have particularly described one particular physical embodiment of my invention and explained the principle and operation thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative but does not exhaust the physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: In a lamp holder for an illuminated track diagram, in combination: a barrel formed with an internal screw thread at one end and bayonet joint slots at the other end; a glass holder formed with an external screw thread, and a flange whereby the barrel may be mounted on a plate held between the end of the barrel and the flange by the cooperation of the screw threads; a lamp holder provided with pins adapted to cooperate with M the slots in the barrel; and a spring positioned inside of the barrel between the holder and the far end of the barrel.

WILLIAM H. B. LAVARACK. 

